Convective heat transfer in engine coolers influenced by electromagnetic fields

Abstract

In engine coolers of off-highway vehicles, convective heat transfer at the coolant side limits both efficiency and performance density of the apparatus. Here, due to restrictions in construction and design, backwater areas and stagnation regions cannot be avoided. Those unwanted changes in flow characteristics are mainly triggered by flow deflections and sudden cross-sectional expansions. In application, mixtures of water and glysantine are used as appropriate coolants. Such coolants typically show an electrical conductivity of a few S/m. Coolant flow and convective heat transfer can then be controlled using Lorentz forces. These body forces are generated within the conducting fluid by the interactions of an electrical current density and a localized magnetic field, both of which are externally superimposed. In future application, this could be achieved by inserting electrodes in the cooler wall and a corresponding arrangement of permanent magnets. In this paper we perform numerical simulations of such magnetohydrodynamic flow in three model geometries that frequently appear in engine cooling applications: Carnot-Borda diffusor, 90° bend, and 180° bend. The simulations are carried out using the software package ANSYS Fluent. The present study demonstrates that, depending on the electromagnetic interaction parameter and the specific geometric arrangement of electrodes and magnetic field, Lorentz forces are suitable to break up eddy waters and separation zones and thus significantly increase convective heat transfer in these areas. Furthermore, the results show that hydraulic pressure losses can be reduced due to the pumping action of the Lorentz forces.